Essays on trans, intersex, cis and other persons and topics from a trans perspective.......All human life is here.

This site is the most comprehensive on the web devoted to trans history and biography. Well over 1400 persons worthy of note, both famous and obscure, are discussed in detail, and many more are mentioned in passing.)

There is a detailedIndexarranged by vocation, doctor, activist group etc.

In addition to this most articles have one or more labels at the bottom. Click one to go to similar persons. There is a full list of labels at the bottom of the page. There is also a search box at the top left. Enjoy exploring!

International:

Amnesty International. Europe: The state decides who I am: Lack of legal gender recognition for transgender people in Europe. 2014. PDF. News release. "This report illustrates the human rights violations experienced by transgender people in Europe when seeking legal gender recognition. Some countries simply do not allow for a change in one’s legal gender. Many others have made the change in one’s legal gender contingent on the fulfillment of invasive requirements, which violate the human rights of transgender people."

Transgender military personnel from several NATO countries, organized by the American Civil Liberties Union, met in Washington DC in late October to continue pressure on the Pentagon to allow open transgender persons to serve in the U.S. military.

World Health Organization has urged for an end to the forced sterilisation of transgender and intersex people around the globe.

Africa:

Audrey Mbugua, Maureen Muia and Annet Jennife, Kenya, succeeded in registering the Transgender Education and Advocacy (TEA). A high court judge ordered the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) coordination board to register the group and compensate the litigants. Website.

Audrey Mbugua won a case in the High Court against the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) that they are to change her name on her academic certificates, and remove the male gender marker. “The court takes judicial notice of the fact that examinations in this country are not administered based on the gender of the candidate. Marks are also not awarded on gender."

--- The Cape Town Declaration, July 2014, urged that WHO ICD-11 discard the current Gender Identity Disorder of Childhood diagnosis and refrain from replacing it with any new pathologising diagnosis, including the proposed Gender Incongruence of Childhood (GIC) diagnosis.

Americas:

Human Rights Campaign (HRC) president Chad Griffin, 'formally apologized' to trans community at the Southern Comfort Conference in Atlanta. Transcript. "“HRC has done wrong by the transgender community in the past, and I am here to formally apologize, I am sorry for the times when we stood apart when we should have been standing together.”

Chicago – trans billboard campaign by TransLife Center at the Chicago House in conjunction with Camp Firebelly .

Diane Rodriguez, Ecuador, Silueta X , sued government for refusing to acknowledge her gender identity, congratulated by the President for her successful work towards civil unions, sued a coffee chain for firing trans employees, made a video recording its discrimination, organized LGBT, black, aboriginal, women's groups to counter stereotyping in the media, forced into hiding after death threats.

Maryland: Sailor Holobaugh, 31, sued and now state employees in Maryland can access transgender medical care.

Oklahoma: Court of Civil Appeals reversed a 2012 ruling by a district judge that denied a name change for a transgender Oklahoman.

San Francisco opened a Rainbow Honor walk and ruined it with typos and misinformation, e.g: Harry Hay, a “sexual revolutionary who defined LGBT as a cultural identity"; Oscar Wilde's "bitting wit"; Sylvester James as a "“multi-gold record singer " and Christine Jorgensen the first “trangendered American publicly to announce her change of sexual identity”. !!!!

Anonymous Toronto trans persons chalked the circular trans symbol in Cawthra Park opposite the Aids Memorial on 12 July. City council, without input from the LGBT community, decided to rename the park after former mayor, Barbara Hall, and there was a ceremony for the renaming on 16 July. While cleaning the park for the ceremony, city workers removed the chalk memorial. The politicians promised a permanent trans memorial will be installed.

Toronto had two separate trans marches at the same time in that Trans March Toronto chose to remain unaffiliated with WorldPride over concerns of commercialization.

Trails End farmers' market in London, Ontario, had in September 2011 given stall-holder Karen Clarke-McIlwain the ultimatum to fire her trans employees or leave. She filed a human-rights complaint, and in May 2014 the tribunal found for Clarke-McIlwain, ordering the market boss to pay $40,000 in damages, and he and his staff should take a human-rights training course.

Asia:

After a recent demonstration Bangalore against India's recriminalization of homosexuality in 2013, 167 hijras were arrested in a 'crackdown' on assumed beggars, although they were not begging at the time and some were dragged from their homes, and others when they went to the police station to help those already arrested. Nearly 2,000 hijras and supporters, aware of the targeted nature of the sweep marched in protest.

++Azra
Has, a trans sex worker who was killed by serial killer Hamdi
Ayri was commemorated in the Turkish city of Izmir. Her name was
given to then Bornova Street where many trans sex workers live.

Half a million Indians proclaimed themselves transgender or 3rd gender in the Indian Census.

Malaysia, Appeals Court found that a state Sharia-law ban on cross-dressing was “degrading, oppressive and inhuman”. The case was filed by transgender women who challenged section 66 of the Sharia law in Negeri Sembilan state, which prohibits “any male person who in any public place wears a woman’s attire or poses as a woman.” The state’s Religious Department has used this law repeatedly to arrest transgender women. The Deputy Prime Minister has called for a review.

Q, Hong Kong, launched a legal challenge against a new law that would ban him from marrying unless he undergoes surgery.

Europe:

The 5th European Transgender Council “Trans*: Safe & Equal!” took place from May 1-4 in Budapest. 200 delegates met to discuss, strategise and network over how to improve safety and equality for trans* people.

"C" launched court case that the Department of Work and Pensions should not retain or use the information relating to her previous name and gender.

The memorial to victims of transphobic hate crimes in Sackville Gardens, Manchester,which was vandalised last year, was restored.

Europe:

Church of England and the Church in Wales are explicitly banned from performing religious same-sex marriages, even if they decide they want to

pension inheritance rights for widow(er)s are based only on contributions since 1988

existing spouses can veto a gender recognition certificate

Finland – passed by Parliament, first marriages in 2017.Ireland – referendum May 2015Luxembourg – passed by Parliament 56-4. The Prime Minister and his civil partner will be one of the first to marry.Malta – civil unions, same sex couples can adopt, and constitution amended to forbid discrimination against trans person - all on one day.Scotland: The marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) – the spousal veto amendment means that a trans person will be able to obtain legal gender recognition even when married to a spouse who objects; both mixed and same sex couples may opt for gender neutral marriage ceremonies.

Oceania:

Tony and Manja Briffa, who cannot legally marry in Australia because of Tony's non-specific birth certificate, spoke at a Marriage Equality rally in Melbourne, on 16 August 2014.

Other Legislation, Litigation, other government and corporate actions, etc

Americas:

Canada: C-279 to add gender identity as a prohibited ground for discrimination under the Canadian Human Rights Act was first passed by the House of Commons in March 2013. It was passed a second time after Parliament was prorogued. The Senate has not yet considered it. It has processed Bill C-13 which adds national origin, age, sex, mental disability, physical disability – but not gender. If/when C-13 is passed, C-279 will need to return to the Commons as it addressed the same part of the Criminal Code.

California: School Success and Opportunity Act in October came into effect - lets children use sex-segregated facilities such as restrooms and locker rooms, and participate in gender-specific activities, under their gender self-identity.

Changes of name and gender on a birth certificate: individuals seeking a name change on a birth certificate are no longer required to publish their reflected name in a local newspaper. Additionally, they will no longer be required to attend a court hearing prior to authenticating the request.

Maine: Supreme Judicial Court reversed a lower court’s ruling from November 2012 and stated that the school was in violation of Maine’s Human Rights Act when it denied Nicole Maines (referred to in the ruling as Susan Doe) access to the appropriate bathroom when she was a fifth-grade student at Asa Adams Elementary School in 2007.

Maryland: Fairness for All Marylanders Act (FAMA) passed. Protects trans people from discrimination in housing, employment, credit, and public accommodations, based on gender identity.
---- changed its state employee health care policy to include coverage for transition-related health care.

Massachusetts on Friday became the third state in the US to cover transgender medical services, including gender reassignment surgery, as a standard benefit in its government health plan for lower-income and disabled people.

Orlando has extended its anti-discrimination laws to cover transgender people.

Newfoundland and PEI have explicitly added protections for trans people into their human rights codes, with provincial legislatures passing amendments adding “gender identity” and “gender expression” to the list of prohibited grounds for discrimination.

New York drops surgery rule for changing sex on birth certificate. New York City creates ID card for residents who face obstacle obtaining other government ID.

Virgina: new governor Terry McAuliffe,
moments after inauguration signed “Executive Order Number 1,” a
directive prohibiting discrimination based on race, sex, color, national
origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, political
affiliation, or against otherwise qualified persons with disabilities in
Virginia state government.

Asia:

India: Supreme Court ruling that provided recognition to a “third gender” on official documents such as voter ID cards. The decision could potentially lead to the reservation of government jobs for transgender people and legal guarantees of educational rights in the future. In the meantime, the vast majority of India’s estimated 1 million-plus trans women are relegated.

Delhi: Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung has declared that transgender children are now eligible for 25 per cent reservation under the economically weaker section (EWS) and disadvantaged students for admission into city schools.

Europe:

Belgium: Anti-Discrimination law and Gender Law are since April 24 fully inclusive of gender identity and expression. The anti-bullying law is also now inclusive of gender identity and expression.

Camden Council, London listed 'transsexualism' alongside mental illness on its forms for applying for housing.

Denmark: Gender Recognition Law does not require surgery, must be 18 and wait a 6-month reflection period. Also can now get an 'X' gender marker in passport without approval from a gender clinic.

Ireland has revised its announced Gender Recognition Bill and stated that it will pass it in 2015. "legislation would include intersex affected individuals and that the medical criteria would not include a diagnosis".

Georgia: new anti-discrimination law includes gender identity and gender expression.

Malta has become the first country in Europe to protect trans people in the constitution, and introduced civil unions and gay adoption.

Netherlands passed legislation that allows trans people to change their gender classification on official documents without being required to undergo surgery and sterilization or obtain court permission.

Norway: Norwegian Equality Ombud Ørstavik, took a decision in the case of John Jeanette Solstad Remø. The Equality Body found that the responsible Ministry of Health could not provide substantive arguments to uphold the sterilization requirement, but referred to a practice established since the 50s.

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About Zagria

I have a social science degree. I spent several years in the 70s doing Gay Lib counselling, and moved on to organizing trans groups. I was rejected by the Clarke Institute (now CAMH) in the mid 1980s, probably because I do not match either of their stereotypes, but was accepted by Russel Reid on our first meeting in late 1987, and had surgery from James Dalrymple some months later. I have mainly worked as an IT consultant. I have been with the same husband for 45 years.